calvert



(No Model.) 4 SheetsSheet 1. O. A. CALVERT RISE HULLER.

Patented Dec. 28,1897.

ATIURN BYS.

(No Model.) 4 SheetsSheet 2. C. A. CALVERT.

RICE HULLER.

Patented B60128, 1897.

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WITNESSES:

A'I'TORN EYS.

(No'ModeL) 4 Sheets-Sheet 3.

G. A. CALVERT.

RICE HELLER.

No 596,051. 7 Patented Dec. 28, 1897.

WITNESSES ATTORNEYS.

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

G. A. CALVERT.

RICE HULLER.

No. 596,051. Patented Dec. 28, 1897.

Q 6 L R 2 WITNESSESl fi. M INVENTOR. m

WM. ATTORNEYS.

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Nrrn STATES ATENT Fries.

CHARLES A. CALVERT, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THE GEORGE L. SQUIER MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

RlCE-HULLER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 596,051, dated December 28, 1897. Application filed December 14, 1896. Serial No. 615,656. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES A. CALVERT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New I ing face and one or more rollers or rotary surfaces cooperating with said hulling-surface and having an elastic face in which the kernels are partially embedded, the yielding rollers or surfaces and the hulling-surface running at differential speeds in order to subject the kernels to a rubbing action, whereby the hulls are loosened and removed from the kernels.

The object of my invention is to promote the hulling action of such machines and increase theircapacity.

In the accompanying drawings, consisting of four sheets, Figure l is a front elevation of a rice-huller embodying my invention, showing the feed-hopper in section. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the machine. Fig. 3 is a fragmentary top plan view thereof, the feedhopper being omitted. Fig. 4 is a vertical section of the machine in line 4 4, Fig. 3.

Like letters of reference refer to like parts in the several figures.

A is the stationary bed of the machine, which is shown as triangular in form and supported by legs A, which are preferably made of wood and secured to the bed by any suit-' able means.

13 is a rotary hulling-disk arranged vertically on the front side of the machine and mounted on a horizontal shaft 0. This shaft is supported at its rear end in a bearing d, arranged at the upper end of a post D, rising from the rear portion of the bed, while its front portion is mounted in a bearing e, ar-

ranged centrally on a U-shaped bracket or supporting-frame E. The latter rests upon and is secured to short posts or pedestals E, projecting from the upper side of the bed. The hulling-disk consists of a flat abrasive annular facing or disk, preferably made of French bur and emery, and this facing is secured to a metallic carrying-plate B, mounted on the'shaft O.

F F represent elastic rollers which are arranged horizontally across the annular fiat face of the hulling-disk on one side of its vertical center line and respectively above and below its horizontal center line. The axes of these rollers are parallel and arranged, re-

spectively, above and below the center of the hulling-disk, so that the arrangement of the axis of each roller with reference to the hull ing-disk is non-radial or tangential to a circle described around the center of the hullingdisk. This arrangement causes the fiat hulling-face of the disk to move past the face of each roller in an oblique direction, the trend of the movement being outwardly opposite the upper roller F and inwardly opposite the lower roller F. The hulling-disk is arranged between the arms of the U-shaped frame E, and these arms extend forwardly beyond the face of the disk, as shown in Fig. 3. The

elastic rollers are arranged in such close relation to the abrasive face of the hullingdisk that the kernels of rice delivered between the rollers and the disk are fed downward through the machine, and each roller is provided with an elastic face, preferably of india-rubber, so that the kernels of rice are permitted to partly embed themselves in the face of the roller as they pass between the same and the hulling-disk. The elastic rollwhich turn in bearings or boxes 9, supported in the forwardly-extending arms of the supporting-frame E. These bearing-boxes are preferably made adjustable in longitudinal ers are mounted on horizontal shafts G G,

slots formed in the arms of said supporting- 0 mounted on the shaftof one of the elastic IOO rollers, and a fly-wheel I, having a handle I, is mounted on the shaft of the other elastic rolleigand the two roller-shafts are connected by a straight belt J, running around pulleys J J secured to such shafts, so that the two rollers are driven in the same direction. The hulling-disk is driven from the shaft of the upper elastic roller by a worm K, secured to said shaft and meshing with a worm-wheel K, mounted on the shaft of the hulling-disk. By this driving-gear the hulling-disk is turned at a slow speed compared with the peripheral speed of the elastic rollers, and the opposing portions of the disk and the rollers travel downward in the same direction, as indicated by the arrows in Figs. 2 and i.

L is the feed-hopper, located above the upper elastic roller F and supported by an arm or bracket L,secured to the su pporting-frame E. The mouth or discharge-spout of this hopper is arranged opposite the converging space between the upper portion of said elastic roller and the face of the hulling-disk, as shown in Fig. 4.

M is a feed-wheel of any suitable construction arranged in the mouth of the feed-hopper. In the construction shown in the drawings this feed-wheel is mounted on a horizontal shaft m, supported in bearings m on the frame E, and this shaft is operated from the shaft of the lower elastic roller F by a crossed belt N,runnin g around pulleys N N ,m ounted on said shafts.

In order to relieve the hulling-disk from the unequal strain resulting from the pressure of the elastic rollers on one side of its center, a backing-roller O is arranged to bear against the rear side of the disk opposite the elastic rollers, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, so as to receive the thrust of said elastic rollers. This roller is preferably adjustable toward and from the hulling-disk and is carried by a hanger P, pivoted at its upper end to a lug of the U-shaped frame E, and adjustably held in position at its lower end by an adjustingbolt 1), passing through an opening in the hanger and engaging in a screw-threaded opening in the adjacent portion of the U- shaped frame. The roller 0 is arranged on the outer side of this frame and projects through an opening (1, formed in the same, as shown in Fig. 2.

In the operation of the machine upon turnin g the hand-crank II and the fly-wheel I forwardly the elastic rollers F F and the hulling-disk 13 are driven in the proper direction to cause the opposing portion of the disk and the rollers to move downwardly, and the clastic rollers are at the same time driven faster than the disk,the periphery of the rollers traveling several times faster than the face of the hullin g-disk by the driving-gear shown in the drawings. The rice kernels on entering between the abrasive face of the hulling-disk and the upper elastic roller F are partly embedded in and held by the elastic face of said roller, and as the roller travels faster than the hulling-disk the embedded kernels are carried downwardly by the roller and rubbed against the abrasive face of the disk, loosening the hulls or cuticles of the kernels and removing them therefrom. The hulled kernels are thence delivered between the lower elastic roller F and the hulling-disk,whereby they are subjected to a second hulling action, which removes from the kernels any remaining portions of the hulls. Owing to the nonradial or tangential arrangement of the rollers with reference to the hullingdisk the flat face of the latter moves obliquely past the face of each hulling-roller, and this oblique movement causes the kernels of rice to be turned or twisted in passing between the disk and roller, whereby a more effective hulling action is produced, as the rupture and complete removal of the hulls is secured thereby, while the operation is sufficiently gentle to avoid the breaking of the kernels. This hullin g action is rendered more complete by giving the kernels first a twist in one direction in passing the upper roller and then a twist in the opposite direction in passing the lower roller.

In the drawings two elastic rollers are shown, but, if desired, a single roller may be employed.

If desired, the hulling-disk may be driven in the reverse direction from that mentioned, in which case the opposing portions of the disk and the elastic roller or rollers will turn in opposite directions. Good results have also been obtained by driving the hullingdisk at a higher rate of speed than the elas tic rollers and in the same direction as the opposing faces of the rollers. This may be accomplished by reversing the arrangement of the worm K and the worm-wheel K-that is, by mounting the worm on the shaft of the hulling-disk and the worm-wheel on the shaft of the upper elastic roller.

As a modification of the construction which is shown in the drawings and by which good results have been obtained, the character of the faces of the hulling-disk and elastic rollers may be reversed, the disk being provided with an elastic face and the rollers F F with an abrasive face of emery or stone.

lVhile I have herein shown and described means for positively driving the hulling-disk, such a positive drive is not indispensable, but the disk may be driven from the peripheral faces of the elastic rollers simply by the frictional contact of the rice or other material fed between the opposing surfaces. By this method of driving the disk the kernels are hulled by the rubbing action due to the transverse or angular movement of the flat face of the disk relatively to the face of the elastic rollers, this action turning or twisting the kernels, as hereinbefore described.

I claim as my invention- 1. In a hulling-machine, the combination with a vertical hulling-disk having a flat hulling-face, of a hulling-roller having its cylindrical face arranged across the flat face of the disk and having its axis arranged non-radial or tangential with reference to the hullingdisk, whereby the flat face of the disk is caused to move past the cylindrical face of the roller in an oblique direction, substantially as set forth.

2. In a hulling-machine, the combination with a vertical hullingdisk having a flat abrasive hulling-face, of an elastic hullingroller having its cylindrical face arranged across the fiat face of the disk and having its axis arranged non-radial or tangential with reference to the hulling-disk, substantially as set forth.

3. In a hulling-machine, the combination with a vertical hulling-disk having a flat abrasive hulling-face, of horizontal hullingrollers arranged horizontally across the fiat face of the disk, one roller above and the other below the center of the disk, whereby the flat face of the disk moves past the upper roller obliquely and outwardly and past the lower roller obliquely and inwardly, substantially as set forth.

4. In a hulling-machine, the combination with the bed, of an upright hullingdisk mounted on a shaft supported on the bed, a worm-wheel mounted 011 said shaft in front of said disk, a transverse shaft arranged on the front side of said disk and having a worm which meshes with said worm-wheel, an elastic roller mounted on said transverse shaft, and a feed-hopper arranged above said roller, substantially as set forth.

Witness my hand this 8th dayof December, 1896.

CHARLES A. CALVERT.

Witnesses:

JNo. J. BONNER, KATHRYN ELMORE. 

